Slithering and Hiding
by DracoLover
Summary: Severus is haunted by some memories and the woman from those memories comes to life... But she bares with her a heavy burden and an evil burden...
1. Default Chapter

Slithering and Hiding 

**Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and information do not belong to this author. They belong to J.K. Rowling. So don't sue me… please…**

Slithering and hiding

Dark places so foreboding,

Hearts so frozen

Yet destiny so open…

            "Is my life really like this?" Snape asked himself as he slumped down bitterly into his chair.

Slithering and hiding

Light not wanted,

Minds unraveling

Love so creeping…

            Severus sat in his chair, stroking his hair.  "Why is it like this of all things?"

            He suddenly remembered the expression on Dumbledore's face when he uncovered his Dark Mark.  The professor's thin lips contracted into a sly smile at the memory of the old man's saddened frown and cracked eyes.

            "It _is_ bliss to see someone so praised and admired to frown like that over a symbol."

            He carefully took out a locket that was tucked in his robes so deep.  He flicked open the small pendant—a sphere of gold—and stared at the young face of a girl.  He sighed longingly as he touched the flat picture—a muggle picture—and an unnoticed tear fell from his left eye.

Slithering and hiding

Love that is lost,

'Tis never to be found?

Or is it to be glimpsed at?

            "I wish that you'd come back… even though…" he was overcome by an attack of sobs and blurred memories.

Slithering and hiding

Memories released,

Memories of sadness,

Memories of chains…

            _"Severus?" a tiny voice struck the enraged boy._

_            "What?!" the boy whirled around with his eyes flaming red and blinded by tears and blood._

_            "I'll go." The girl lowered her head._

_            "You can't!  He mustn't get you!"_

_            "I have to… for your sake and everyone else's." the girl went over to the battle-poised boy._

_            "I won't let you!" Severus blocked her way._

_            "I have to, Severus.  I'll—I'll try my best to come back to you." The girl laid her arm gently on the boy's shivering shoulder.  "Severus, I want you to live.  I want everyone else to live.  I am what—what He wants."_

_            "You—you can't!  It's a trap, can't you understand that?" the boy yelled furiously._

_            The girl shook her head slowly and leaned closer to the boy and kissed him gently on his cheek.  "I'll be back." She said softly and walked past him and under the dark cloak of the towering figure.  "I love you." She called back and the cloak of the figure closed over her and a muffled cry was issued._

_            "NOOO!" Severus screamed and ran forward but one of the figures rushed at him and hit him squarely in the stomach._

_            "I love you…"_

Slithering and hiding

Love returning,

Whispering and crying,

Living and dying…

            "You said you'd come back… you said you loved me…" Severus whimpered while clutching the locket in his shaking hands.

            "I did and I still do." A familiar tone but a more mature voice rang in the professor's ears.

Slithering and hiding

Hearts unfolding

Snake's eyes aren't closing

On their loved heartstring…

            "You…" Severus stood up and stared at a girl with soft brown hair and mellow but stern green eyes.

            "It's me, Severus." The girl burst forward and embraced the shocked man.  "Oh I missed you so much!"

            "I—I thought—thought you were dead…"

            "I wouldn't die for you!" the girl playfully kissed the man's lips.

            "You Master?  What about Him?"

            The girl suddenly stopped and a sense of melancholy and misery overcame her.  "He's coming… to kill the Boy-Who-Lived…"

            "Then—then I must stop you." Severus lowered his head.

            "I know."

Slithering and hiding

Unending and eternal,

Guiding but losing,

In darkness and light…

            "Severus," the woman brushed a tear away.  "My Master wishes that you join us…"

            "But I'm a teacher at Hogwarts!" Severus turned away.

            "But you'll have wealth, power, glory!  You'll have—me."

            "I—I can't."

            The girl smirked then wrapped her arms around the man's waist, slyly whispering, "Don't you love me?"

            "I do." Severus stood rigid with confusion.  A sudden thought crossed his mind.  He pushed away the girl and looked at her sternly.  "What happened to you all these years?  What did they do to you?"

            She stared blankly at him for a moment then a sly smile slipped onto her lips.  "I opened my eyes to the reality of my Master's capabilities and understanding.  I went through a lot but that doesn't concern you now… All that matters is that you join us." She took hold of the shaking hand and placed it just above her heart.  "Severus, you were born to be one of us.  You have the talent and knowledge my Master seeks.  You're the son he always wanted.  I'll be there."

            "What has gone into you?!"

            "What has gone into _you_?!"

            Severus stepped back and stared the woman he had loved for so long.  He looked into the green eyes and realized he didn't recognize them.  She had changed, changed so much, too much.  "Who are you?" he reached for his wand in his robes.

            "Severus!"

            "I said, who are you?"

            "I—I am—" the sparkle in her eyes cracked with fear.  She clutched her heart and doubled over then started to writhe in pain.

            "W—what's going on?!"

            "H—Help me!" the girl cried out in a cracking voice.

            Severus stood petrified and lost in his place as the girl he thought he had loved for so long suddenly grew still, deathly still.

Slithering and hiding

Love lying

Illusion foreboding

Death that lives…

            "Master…" the woman coughed, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth, "I'm sorry…" her eyes rolled up and Severus sensed her heart stopped.

            "You can't… no!!" Severus shook the pale body.

            "Severus, she's gone.  It's too late…" an eccentric voice shook the professor.

Slithering and hiding

Death and rebirth,

Untold and misunderstood,

Words that are killing…

            "Albus…" Severus quickly wiped away his tears.

            "Don't hide them, Severus." The old man patted the shaking man's back gently.  "Her Master took her.  We can't do anything anymore… she was chosen long ago and she was taken.  You have strength, Severus, great strength.  She wasn't able to take you back with her.  Her Master wasn't able to take you."

            "She didn't have to die, did she?"

            "We can't do anything about it, Severus.  Fate will just have to squeeze through Hogwarts and we'll have to trust in our own capabilities and in others' capabilities as well."

            "I guess so, Albus." Severus nodded weakly.

Slithering and hiding

Faith and life unwilling,

Rage that disappears,

Power uplifting…

            "I just wish Potter the best of luck against this 'Master' of hers…"

            "I know he'll need it but he'll make it through…" Albus replied.

Slithering and hiding,

Gliding and stalking,

Living and dying…

            _I'm sorry, Severus…_

_            I love you, Lazuli…_

FINI.

Author's Note: Well, I couldn't think of a name at the end and so the Lapiz Lazuli came up to me and I typed it.  Actually, I like the name…


	2. Icy and Cold

Continuation of Slithering and Hiding…

Icy and Cold 

Icy and cold,

That old and worn-down thing,

That ugly and scraped shell

Of a human being…

Young Severus thought to himself while toying with his newly bought wand.  The newly bought wand that he had obtained from his trip to Diagon Alley—all by himself.  He practiced with it constantly, trying to build and bring out all the energy that he could muster from it.  He tried to—show off…

Icy and cold,

Reflecting beauty's parting,

Showing-off one's desiring

To a loneliness unwanted…

"Hello." A small voice caused Severus to turn around, the twitching toad before him scampering off frightfully.

"Uhh… hi." Severus replied unsurely, finding a particularly pretty girl standing behind him.

"I think it's your turn now." The girl smiled.  "Madame Malkin told me to send for you." She smiled.

"Thank you." Severus nodded and started off towards the back of the shop for the fitting.

"Sure.  Oh yeah, what's your name? Are you going to Hogwarts too?" the girl enthusiastically said.

Severus looked around nervously then shrugged.  "I'm going to Hogwarts if that's what you want to know but you'll just hear my name when the sorting begins." He said and with that, he walked off, leaving the girl staring at him curiously.

"My name's Lazuli, by the way!" she called out and Severus heard the gentle chime of the old bell above the shop's door.

Icy and cold,

A blue flame escaping

To warm this frozen thing,

To spread the touch of gentle spring…

"Ah, Hogwarts?" Madam Malkin smiled while adjusting her eyeglasses and taking out a measuring tape.  "First year?" Severus only nodded as he was led onto a stool.  Madam Malkin called for a girl in bright mauve robes to come around and bring her some robes for the fitting.

"What'll I do with you if you're not going to be good at this?" Madam Malkin scratched her head as the girl stumbled over to her side with a box filled with robes.

"Sorry, nana…" the girl blushed.

"Well, go on now!" Madam Malkin shooed her off.  "You have to get the orders from Ollivander's." the girl nodded brightly and ran out of the shop.

"Now then," Madam Malkin smiled at Severus.  "I'm sorry about that.  She's going to Hogwarts too if you want to know." Severus barely listened to the woman jabber on about the girl proudly as the measuring tape flew all about him magically.

Icy and cold,

Blue flame departing?

Never to return?

How melancholy should we mourn…

"Snape, Severus!" a bright but eccentric voice called out for the young lad.  The black-haired boy slowly made his way up to the stool where the Sorting Hat sat quietly, awaiting him and judging him.

After a moment, the hat shouted "SLYTHERIN!" and Severus was sent off to an applauding group of students.

The list went on and Severus heard: "Zarwin, Lazuli!"

"Lazuli?" Severus muttered to himself while eyeing the happy girl trot up to the stool.

"Let me see…" the Hat pondered.  "SLYTHERIN!" it finally said.  The students at the chosen table cheered and welcomed the brown-haired, green-eyed girl.

Icy and cold,

Bittersweet and harsh,

Cold thing freezing,

Blue flame just brightening…

"Severus!" a cheerful tone called after the sullen boy in the hall.

"What?" Severus shook his head as he turned around to greet the hyper girl.

"Can you help me with this?" Lazuli held up a book entitled: _Magic Wars Through the Ages_.  Severus nodded and they went off to the Slytherin Common Room.

"Professor Dumbledore told me that you were at the top of the class in DADA.  He told me that you could help me out with the report since he was too busy to."

"I see…" Severus secretly wanted to hang the professor for giving this girl to him to take care of.

"So _why_ did this guy proclaim a code war against Merlin?" Lazuli pointed to a paragraph on the book.

Icy and cold,

Blue flame dancing

Upon the frozen casing

Of one that is hiding…

_She's getting quite on my nerves…_ Severus thought to himself as he lay back in his bed.  The year was passing quickly and he made few friends though Lazuli Zarwin sort of pushed him to be her friend.  He was usually scowling around all the time and he had little interest in those few girls that giggled and blushed as he strode by, his usual sardonic expression on his face.

_This is getting insane!_ He thought bitterly while tossing his blankets to his side.  He quickly grabbed them and cuddled into them after realizing that if he slept without a blanket, winter's wrath would make him hers.

_She doesn't stop smiling at me and she's so hyper!_ He grumbled quietly.  Those bright green eyes, just like Lily Potter—_Lily Potter…_ he frowned, clenching his fist at the name.  He despised the smart little git for topping him at charms and Herbology, allowing Longbottom to squeeze between them too, leaving quite an enormous gap in between five more people and him against the charms' class top spell casters.  That brought him to a more hideous subject—James Potter.  His teeth ground angrily at the thought of the black-haired boy—the messy black-haired boy.  _Gryffindors… Bah!_ He nearly spat as he grumbled himself to sleep.

_Lazuli!_ The subject dawned on him again.  Potter's antics and cheerful attitude reminded him of the sniveling girl.  The girl that tagged along side him everyday.  The girl that chased after him in the halls just to ask a question.  The girl that tried to defend him against taunts of the Gryffindors: Lupin, Black, Pettigrew and Potter.  _Does she actually care about me?_ He wondered thoughtfully.  A pang of bitter hate and anxiety went through him and he shoved the thought out.

Icy and cold,

Memories fleeting,

Enraging and annoying,

How tender is spring…

"Lazuli, what in Slytherin's name _are_ you doing?!" Severus stared at the girl that blinked open her eyes after being shaken awake in the Common Room.  "Did you _sleep_ here?!"

"H—huh?" Lazuli yawned and stared up at her awakener.  "Uh… actually…" she blushed.

"Why did you sleep here Lazuli?" Severus eyed her frankly.

"I was trying to do your assignment and mine since you went up to bed earlier and before I arrived…" the girl yawned again.

"M—my assignment?!" Severus' eyes widened.

Icy and cold,

Blue flame flickering,

Frozen shell guarding

What hides deep beneath…

"You didn't finish it because you were helping me…" Lazuli handed over four pages of scrolls with fine black ink carefully and neatly written on it.  Severus could only stare.  "Thank you for helping me." She smiled and stood up.  "I have to go now… it gets quite uncomfortable—sleeping in the Common Room." She yawned and walked up to the girls' dormitory.

"It's all complete…" Severus blinked as he proofread the report.  His fingers shook with fear as well as shock at the memory of the deed done to him just now.  At the same time, a tiny crack in his heart broke, letting a ray of light peep out of an old and ugly stone shell.

Icy and cold,

Ice started melting

At the eyes of the blue flame,

What hides, not hidden anymore…

FINI.


End file.
